


Without You We're Not Whole

by RobinsonsWereHere



Series: Whump Week 2019 [6]
Category: Psych
Genre: (they're like 5), F/M, Good Mom maddie, Henry Whump, Hospitals, Whump, small shawn and gus, some maddie whump, this fic is fucking painful, whump week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-12
Updated: 2019-07-12
Packaged: 2020-06-26 23:38:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19778830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RobinsonsWereHere/pseuds/RobinsonsWereHere
Summary: The worst part of Henry getting hurt is that he is lying comatose in a hospital bed. The second-worst part? Maddie has to explain why... to everyone.





	Without You We're Not Whole

“Mom!”

Maddie ignores the stab wound in her side in favor of catching her five-year-old son when he comes running toward her. She lifts Shawn into her arms.

“Mom,” he whispers. “I got scared when Mrs. Guster said you were at the hospital.”

She kisses his head and shifts him to her uninjured side. “I’m alright, Goose. I’m right here.”

Shawn squints at her. “Where’s Dad?”

That, Maddie knows, will be a harder question to answer. “Shawn… your dad got hurt while he was trying to keep me safe. The doctors are helping him now, but it might take a while. And… he’s probably going to be asleep for a while after the doctors fix him up.”

“What happened to him?”

“Goose…” Maddie sighs as she tries to think of an answer that will satisfy her curious son without scarring him for life. “Goose, some bad men- criminals- that your dad arrested got loose. They were mad at him for arresting them, even though they broke the law. So they took him, and they took me, and they hurt us because they were bad. But your dad kept me safe, Shawn. Even when they were hurting us, he did his best to keep them from hurting me. Do you know why?”

Shawn’s eyes are wide and full of fear for his father. “Why?”

Maddie kisses the top of his head. “Because he will do anything to keep his family safe- me, you, your uncle Jack, all of us. Remember that, Shawn. Almost everything your father does is motivated by love for us.”

Shawn rests his head against her shoulder. “I love him too. He better be okay.”

\---

Maddie sits next to Winnie Guster, watching Shawn and Gus play with the sand table. “You didn’t need to bring Gus, I know it’s late.”

Winnie gives her a smile. “Well, I thought Shawn could use some company. And I thought you might want to talk to someone yourself.”

Maddie swallows hard, grateful beyond words to her friend. “Thank you, Winnie.” She pauses again to wipe at her eyes. “I just- I can never tell Shawn how scared I was. And when Henry wakes up, if I tell him, he’ll just feel worse. But- but- I _was_ scared, Win. I was terrified from the moment they dragged us into that old townhouse.”

Winnie nods, but Maddie knows she doesn’t really understand. She keeps going anyway. “Every time they hit Henry, it felt like they were hitting me, too. Every time he cried out I wanted to scream… I did, quite a few times. And… they didn’t exactly leave me alone, either.”

Winnie glances at her side. “Is that how you got cut up?”

Maddie nods. “They had knives… and Henry got the worst, of course, but I ended up being- I got stabbed. Here-” she touches her side lightly- “and here.” Her second wound is on her shoulder.

Her friend winces and shakes her head. “You’re brave, Madeline. I don’t think I could’ve survived something like that.”

“Henry’s the brave one,” Maddie sighs. “God, I hope he’s alright. When I think about Henry... not making it, everywhere they hit me pales in comparison.”

That sentiment, at least, is one every wife understands. Winnie gives Maddie a reassuring smile and puts an arm over her shoulders. “He’s a tough one, Madeline. And I know he’ll do everything he can to stay here with you and Shawn.”

Maddie nods, watching Shawn navigate a plastic sailboat over Gus’ head. “You’re right, Winnie. We just have to have faith.”

\---

This part, Maddie hates the most. When she’s profiling a criminal for a case she’s on, she can write a police report, no problem. But giving a witness statement, when her husband is in surgery and the SBPD has shown up in the waiting room with notepads and recorders? No, thank you. It’s far too personal for her taste.

“I’m sorry, Maddie,” Brett starts. He clearly wants to say more, but Maddie shakes her head.

“Please- please don’t. The best way for me to give this report is to just- just tell you everything I can. If I have to think about it, I think I might break,” she admits quietly.

Brett and Karen exchange glances, like they want to offer more comfort. Neither speaks until Brett nods his head. “Understandable. A full report would be very useful.”

Maddie takes a deep breath. “There were four men, all of whom Henry recognized as convicted felons. I didn’t get their names. They seemed to have no ulterior motive for the kidnapping other than to inflict physical damage on Henry and myself- mostly Henry. They threw him to the ground and kicked him until he threw up. They- they laughed.” Swallowing hard, she continues. “I tried to intervene when they just wouldn’t stop… he was delirious and couldn’t speak other than pained noises. One of them had a knife, and…” she trails off, motioning to her bandaged shoulder and side.

“Madeline, we’re going to need a verbal explanation for the tape recorder,” Brett reminds her.

This part is much easier than thinking about what they’d done to Henry. “He stabbed me twice, once in the right shoulder and another time in my stomach, on the left side.” Another deep breath. “I was trying not to bleed out, otherwise I certainly would’ve tried again to help Henry. But I couldn’t.” She swallows. “All I could do was watch as they beat him, with their fists, with beer bottles, one man had a crowbar-” She breaks off, choking on her own tears.

“That’s plenty, Maddie,” Brett assures her. “Thank you for being brave enough to give us that much.”

Wiping at her tears, Maddie shakes her head. “I wasn’t brave. I couldn’t even help him. Henry’s the brave one.”

Karen takes the seat next to her and grasps both of her hands, looking her in the eye. “Maddie, you are one of the bravest fucking people I know. Tonight just proves that. It definitely doesn’t do the opposite.”

Maddie gives her friend a watery smile. “Thank you, Karen. I… appreciate the sentiment.”

\---

Maddie is sitting in a chair by Henry’s hospital bed, hsi hand clasped in hers, when Shawn arrives. His eyes go wide and his lip begins to wobble at the sight of his father so still and asleep. “Is he okay?”

Maddie holds out her arms for her son to climb into her lap. “Well, right now he’s got to sleep for a while but he will be, Goose.”

“Why’s ge gotta sleep? Is he tired?”

She nods. “He’s very tired because his body is working hard to heal him. Speaking of which, it’s late… are you tired, Goose?”

Shawn nods, looking reluctant. He casts a glance toward Henry. “Can I sleep with Daddy?”

Maddie hums with thought. “Well, let’s see…” she presses the ‘call nurse’ button and asks if it would be okay for Shawn to share Henry’s hospital bed. The nurse says yes, as long as he doesn’t disturb the wires. So she gets Shawn to bed next to his father, and then stays up for her own vigil.

Eventually, she can’t hold it together anymore. Memories blend together, taking her from meeting Henry’s eyes as he’d been beaten to dancing with him in the kitchen with baby Shawn. Henry is comatose and Shawn is asleep and so, all alone for the night, Maddie cries.

It feels almost cleansing. At least while she’s crying, she doesn’t think about the events of the past day and a half, but once she finishes, she feels more miserable than ever. She sighs.

“Goodnight, Henry,” she whispers. “Goodnight, Shawn. I love you both.”

And with that, Madeline Spencer proceeds to cry herself to sleep.


End file.
